One of the state’s most beautiful birding venues is Highway 97 through the Sandhills from Valentine to North Platte. This area is perfect for catching glimpses of the sandhills crane and rare whooping crane.

Among Nebraska’s most spectacular waterfalls, Snake River Falls rushes over a 54-foot-wide ledge. When the Snake River is full, it rushes over the edge at a rate of 230 cubic feet per second and sprays mist across the canyon.

Of the Niobrara River Valley’s many waterfalls, the tallest is Smith Falls, 15 miles northeast of Valentine on Highway 12. The spring-fed falls – Nebraska’s tallest, drops 70 feet and flows out to the Niobrara River.